Realm Re-imagined
by VyeB
Summary: Kessa doesn't have the power of the Echo, nor does she have any ambition to become an Adventurer. She only has a simple dream she chooses to follow, and it seems life has its own plans for her. A retelling (of sorts) of the FFXIV game where I give it my own twists and give some love to the side quests along the way.
1. Chapter 1

Tonight. It would be tonight.

She was excited. She was ready.

The sun rose over Thanalan. The weather was clear so the temperature quickly started to rise. Most residents of Crescent Cove were already active. Already working. The fishermen had left out on their boats long before the sun had come up. Others were mending nets or preparing to receive the day's catch. It was a small village and they were less than wealthy. Residents weren't much to look at on the surface. Simple clothing that mainly was there to protect them from the elements. Most of the time their clothing wasn't even clean. They didn't mind. There were only a half dozen buildings to house the entire village. This meant most of the houses were shared between several occupants. The buildings were old but sturdy. They were not wealthy, but they were fed, protected, and comfortable. It was nothing much but it was enough for them. Most of these people had been born there and had been repeating their routines for years.

But the Auri girl was different.

The fact that she was Au Ra was different enough on its own. Most residents were of Hyur decent, and there was a smaller portion that was Roegadyn and Lalafell. She was the only Au Ra living in the town. Adventuring or merchant Au Ra would pass through now and then, but there was not another Au Ra residing there.

There were other things that set her apart. While the others were hard at work on the boats and nets, the Au Ra was sharpening her pickax. She did not even pretend to have an interest in fishing. She was going to be working alone like normal.

She ate the slice of bread that was her breakfast while she repaired her tool. She had gotten it when she was a small child, which was perfectly normal for her clan, and by now it was showing its age through wear and chips in the metal. She knew she was going to have to replace it in the near future but she was going to have to make it work for now.

She finished and attached it over her shoulder and onto her back. She stepped out of the modest home and out into the warm sunlight. Her dark scales glistened lightly in contrast to her dark blue skin. She looked around briefly at the other residents of her town. Even her purple hair stood out from theirs. Not one part of her seemed to blend in. But at this point she had lived there so long, they paid her no mind. They did not notice her.

All except for one, that is.

"Kessa," the woman scolded, "did you eat the rest of the bread?"

Kessa turned with a normal, warm smile to face the woman. "No, Noko," she assured her. "There is more for you to have later."

Finoko did not change her expression. The only way to tell she accepted Kessa's response was in how she didn't press the issue further. Finoko had been a woman past her prime when she had met Kessa more than fifteen years ago, and so now she was bordering on being elderly. Her hair had long since turned gray and she had no shortage of wrinkles. In spite of this, she seemed physically fit. She moved around easily on her own and often had been seen loading and unloading boats. She complained the whole time while doing so but she had no difficulty. In the time Kessa had been in her care, Kessa could not remember her becoming sick more than maybe three times.

"You're off to play with rocks then?" She scoffed.

Kessa knew there was no point trying to refute her comment. She just started making her way past Finoko and towards the cove boarding the village.

"I'll be back before the sun sets," she promised with a wave.

"Don't leave the cavern," Finoko snapped. "I'll know if you try to go to Horizon again!"

Kessa came to a quick stop and had to fight down her urge to have an outburst. The best spots to mine were outside Horizon and Finoko knew that. However, she rarely allowed Kessa to stray that far from the village. Somehow Finoko really did seem to know any time she went too far. Kessa was hoping to leave without giving Finoko time to impose that restriction. But she collected herself and took a deep breath.

Tonight was the night. She had no reason to be upset.

Why ruin her day?

"Fine, Noko," she relented to her caretaker. "I'll stay close."

Finoko didn't even bother to turn and watch the Auri girl leave the village and wander into cavern. Kessa had nothing further to say to her either and they separated in silence.

In truth any material of value had long ago been mined out of the cavern. It had been years since she had found any ore there. She'd be lucky to find useable Ragstone or even a complete bone. More than likely she'd end up with sand and bone chips.

This also didn't dampen her mood. She still enjoyed the process of mining to see what she could find. And she would rather spend her day dodging the beasts living in the cavern than having Finoko peering over her shoulder for hours on end.

And so she spent her day as she normally did. She zigzagged her way through the creatures she knew would attack her otherwise until she found a safe area where she could mine the day away. She had worked there the day before and felt like there could be a bit more to find.

The work began.

The area was calm. Kessa's occasional swings of the pickax were the only sounds to interrupt the running water that flowed through the base the cavern. The hours drug along uneventfully. She was given no reason to believe anything would be different than every other day. Even the monsters of the area were calm. It was peaceful. Average.

Kessa wouldn't let herself feel bored.

She was fine where she was. No reason to want more.

Not when she had something to look forward to. She would just have to wait.

It was hard to stay motivated though when midday approached and she still hadn't found anything of note. She climbed up onto a rock formation near where she had been working and let herself take a break. She looked up at the sun which had climbed into the middle of the sky and shone down brightly through the openings above her. She let herself enjoy the warmth and dry her boots after walking through the water.

She watched a couple small clouds move through the sky above. The weather was likely to stay clear the rest of the day which was good. She had brought along another piece of the bread and she slowly ate it for her midday meal.

Movement caught her eye. She turned her head. Two chocobos were racing along the roadway. Each one was carrying a passenger. Merchants? Adventurers? Messengers? It was impossible to say for sure who they were. She silently watched as they ran by seemingly not noticing her there.

They had come from Vesper Bay and were heading south towards Horizon. Soon they were in the tunnel leading up out of the cave and were out of sight. Perhaps Horizon was their destination. Or maybe they would continue further south until…

Kessa shook her head to snap herself out of her daze. She had no way of knowing who they were or where they were going, and it was not her concern.

If she dwelt on them too long, she would only make herself envious.

She soon returned to her work. While she had to tread through the water from spot to spot, she tried to make sure she would find a place she could work where she was standing out of the water. Her boots offered little protection if they soaked in the water for too long.

More time passed. She managed to find a few chips of bone as she had expected. There was nothing else worth her time. The bone chips weren't really worth the effort either, but they were at least something to help stave off the boredom for a little while.

Kessa corrected herself. She wasn't bored. Just… overly comfortable…

After what seemed like too many hours had passed, the sun finally started to dip past the brim of the cave. It was going to be hitting the western horizon before too long. She let out a sigh of relief and started to pack up. She carefully trudged through the water back towards the village. The fishing boats would have returned a while ago and they would probably be finishing their sale of the catch by now.

The regular merchant as there as Kessa had expected. It seems they had finished with the transaction and were already loading the barrels of fish into his wagon. As Kessa approached, many of the other villagers waved and greeted her with a smile. She returned their gestures appreciatively. Some of them had been the same people who had greeted and accepted Kessa and her mother with open arms when they had arrived in Thanalan those many years ago. Her mother had returned their kindness and Kessa saw how much better they all got along. At least more so than Finoko seemed to. She was grateful for these lessons.

Kessa didn't want to interrupt the Lalfell merchant as he instructed and overlooked the workers with the fish. He noticed her on on his own and glanced at her.

"Oh, Kessa, good day," he greeted as he turned to face her. "What have we found today?"

Kessa could only muster an awkward smile as she handed over the bone chips. He frowned at them. But he took some time to look them over.

Finoko walked up behind him at this point. She stopped a few strides behind him to watch the transaction. Kessa gave her a quick glance but made herself stay focused on the merchant.

"I see we couldn't go to Horizon today," he suddenly said in a raised tone. She got the impression he knew Finoko was there and wanted her to hear. "That's a shame. I've had a lot of orders for Cinnabar lately."

Kessa smiled. Finoko only folded her arms. Her scowl didn't fade.

"These will have to do," the merchant muttered in his normal tone. He dug through the coin bag tied to his belt and held up two gil. "Pleasure doing business with you, as usual."

Kessa accepted the coins. "Thank you," she told him.

"See you tomorrow," he told her.

She nodded to him while he walked to the other side of the wagon. Kessa kept her hand upheld with the gil as she knew what would come next.

Finoko walked over to her and snatched one of the coins from her.

"Should have found more," was all she said.

Finoko walked away. Kessa let out another sigh but she once again kept herself from arguing.

Their arguments had never made a difference in the past. Today would be no exception.

Finoko headed towards her home. It was the smallest of the village. Unlike the other buildings though, she did not house anyone else besides Kessa. It may have been the smallest but it was also the one with the fewest people residing within it. Finoko soon disappeared inside. Kessa trailed behind her. She gave her a little space before following.

As Kessa approached the home, one of the women living in the house nearest them stepped out. She smiled at Kessa.

"Hungry, Dear?" She inquired. She was carefully holding two bowls of soup in her hands with a basket hunt over one of her arms.

Kessa nodded enthusiastically. She took one of the bowls. Inside was a fish soup which wasn't surprising but would be more filling than the bread from earlier.

Finoko stepped back outside. She said nothing to the neighbor and instead shoved a jar of pickled eggs into her free hand. She then quickly took the basket, which contained more bread, and the other bowl from her. Finoko then turned and walked back into her house.

The neighbor woman and Kessa exchanged knowing, weary smiles. Finoko and the woman often traded food. In addition to her bitterness, Finoko was well known in the village for being the best pickler among them. She had similar trading arrangements with other town residents. While they didn't particularly enjoy her company, at least she provided them with various pickled foods that they could enjoy instead.

If nothing else, Kessa didn't go hungry. She knew not everyone was that fortunate and she was thankful for what she had.

The neighbor disappeared back into her own home but soon came back out with two more bowls of soup. She bobbed her head to the side to invite Kessa to follow her. Kessa did so and they walked away. There was a fire set up not too far away from the docks. There were already people sitting around it eating their own meals. They were chatting away about how the day of fishing had gone. The woman's husband was waiting there for her. She handed him the extra bowl and took a seat beside him. Kessa sat on her other side.

"If the Garleans keep using that route," Kessa heard someone say, "we're going to have to go out further to get any good hauls."

"Then we'll just be cutting more into the Sahagin territory," another argued.

Kessa started eating while they talked in circles about the issue. There wasn't a clear solution. There had been similar discussions almost every night for months now. She had no input as she knew she didn't have the answers for them either.

"How was your mining today?" The neighbor woman asked Kessa curiously.

Kessa shrugged loosely. "About the same as always," she reported.

"Were you stuck in the caves again?" Her husband questioned.

Kessa sighed and lifted her bowl to her lips. She took a long drink of the broth without voicing a response. This was an answer enough for him.

The two neighbors glanced at each other. The woman looked back at Kessa apprehensively.

"You know, Kessa," she pointed out, "you're fully grown now."

Kessa turned her head to look at her. She continued.

"I know mining is what you enjoy," she commented. "But do you really think you can just keep doing that here?"

Kessa shook her head. "The cave will run dry eventually," she responded bluntly. "Hard to say how much longer. Maybe a year if I'm being generous."

"There is an obvious solution to that," the husband mentioned.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way," the wife attempted gently, "but everyone knows you don't really belong here. We love having you, of course, but we just feel you deserve more. Deserve better. There has to be so much more for you out there than this place."

Kessa lowered the bowl to rest in her lap. She frowned and looked into the fire.

"Finoko was kind enough to offer you and your mother a place to stay when you arrived here," the woman went on. "That was always supposed to have been a _temporary _arrangement. After your poor mother became ill… Well, it was… gracious of Finoko to allow to you stay but now you shouldn't have to rely on her."

"We don't want to push," the husband interjected. "I'm sure we'd all be happy to keep you around. But what are your plans for yourself?"

Kessa watched the fire quietly. "There is a plan," she acknowledged. "There has always been a plan. It's just… Finoko doesn't-"

"_I_ just know what's best!"

Kessa flinched along with her two neighbors. They hadn't noticed Finoko had left her house and walked up behind them. She rarely joined the group out there so they hadn't been anticipating her arrival or that she would overhear their topic of conversation. It was unclear how long she had been there. They all tensed up and lowered their heads slightly as they braced themselves for whatever scolding Finoko was about to unleash.

"All a person needs is food, shelter, and honest work!" Finoko insisted. She had her hands on her hips. She wasn't yelling but she was speaking loudly and angrily enough that she was interrupting all the discussions going on around the fire. Everyone started looking over at her while she continued. "Those things can all be found here. There is no reason to go anywhere else when all you need is here! Wanting more is _selfish._ Wanting more is _ungrateful_. Altos was _grateful_ to me. Altos wasn't _selfish_. I did not raise her daughter to be any different."

"That is uncalled for," the neighbor woman shot back. She tried to sit up straight and proud. "How dare you use her mother like that?"

"How dare I?" Finoko snarled. "I wondered who filled her head full of ideas of leaving this village. All of you have been doing it behind my back! Are you all trying to turn her against me?"

"That isn't true!" The neighbor's husband insisted, getting to his feet. "We just want her to plan for her future! We want what's best for her just like you should!"

"I already know what's best for her," she snapped. "You didn't raise her, provide for her! This village has everything she needs. Her future is staying here! That is how she will prove she is grateful to me. That is how she will return my generosity. She will stay. You will not convince her _or_ me otherwise!"

Finoko didn't even bother to look at Kessa during this exchange. She turned and walked off before another word could be uttered. The villagers all watched her in confusion and bewilderment. Eventually their gazes left her and went to Kessa and their expressions became concerned.

Kessa sighed as she looked back to the fire. She sat there solemnly for a short time.

"That is how I goes each time we talk about it," she muttered gently. "I haven't been able to change her mind."

The neighbor woman reached for Kessa's shoulder to comfort her while her husband took his seat again. "I'm sorry if you feel I'm intruding," she persisted. "I just must say what I've been thinking. You really don't need to listen to her. You owe her nothing. You won't be happy if you stay here. Don't wait for her permission to live your life. She'll never give it."

Kessa nodded sadly. "I know," she agreed. She returned to eating what remained of her soup. Unfortunately there wasn't much else she could say.

The mood around the fire had been impacted by Finoko's outrage. Any conversations that had been going on were resumed only in a light chatter. Kessa didn't bother trying to determine if they were talking about her or Finoko or if they had returned to their original topics. The two neighbors ate in the same awkward silence Kessa found herself in.

Eventually Kessa finished with her soup and handed the empty bowl back to her neighbor. She took it with a sad nod and they said their goodbyes for the evening.

Kessa left the fire and her neighbors and headed back towards Finoko's home. Kessa stood in the entryway. Finoko was inside and still eating her dinner. What had drawn her out earlier was unknown.

"That wasn't necessary," Kessa mentioned.

"It was," Finoko returned. "They should not act like they know anymore or any better than I do."

"They were only speaking their minds," she defended.

"And you don't need to listen to such nonsense," she spat.

It wasn't nonsense. Kessa agreed with everything they said. She knew the same. She had been so glad to hear that someone thought the same things she did. It warmed her heart to know someone believed in her. Was on her side. She wanted to believe that, as her caretaker, Finoko knew the these things deep down. She just didn't want to admit it. For some reason.

But Finoko's expression never faltered. She never had shown doubt. Not even concern. Did she really, truly believe Kessa should stay in that small fishing village her whole life? Did she truly believe she was happy? Was Finoko even happy to have her there? She never said as much.

Finoko said nothing else to her. She ate slowly. Kessa turned and leaned on the outside wall near the door. She overlooked the horizon quietly. The sun was approaching it and the ocean was beautiful that time of day. The edge of the sky was beginning to turn orange and the water shimmered gently.

Kessa heard clattering from time to time coming from inside. Finoko was busying herself with something. Kessa didn't concern herself over whatever it was. Could have been more pickling. Could have been cleaning. Kessa just kept watching the sun get lower and lower in the sky.

As it started to touch the horizon finally, Kessa felt her heart rate increase. Her tail swayed behind her eagerly. Finoko was predictable. Just as she was always awake before the sun was up, she was always in bed before it went down.

Soon. It was soon.

Kessa waited there. She couldn't move too early. She didn't want to draw attention to herself. She had to be patient.

The clattering coming from inside had stopped. Kessa waited a bit longer. Eventually she couldn't wait anymore and quietly crept inside. The home was only one room. A section of it was separated by wooden screen. The other side was where they slept. Kessa didn't go too far into the home. She just waited and listened. Finoko was nowhere in sight so she had to be in their sleeping area. Sure enough, Kessa heard a snore. She perked up. She waited until she heard Finoko snore a second time just to be safe. She heard it again. Finoko was sound asleep.

It was finally time.

Kessa had no reason to wait any longer and rushed back outside. She first hurried along the shoreline. She went to the cliffside behind the village and picked up a large stone. It covered a hole she had carved into the rocks long ago. Safe inside were the two small pouches she had stashed there. She picked one up and put the gil she had remaining from earlier inside. This was her savings meant to go towards a new pickax. She was not confident there was enough to get a proper one yet, but she would be taking it along with her just in case. She then grabbed the other pouch which contained her other savings. It had a different purpose. Kessa then returned the stone to its original position over the hole before she turned back to run back into the village.

She didn't bother trying to hide her excitement.

The neighbor woman from earlier noticed Kessa as she dashed through the village.

"Another trip tonight?" she asked her.

"Yes, goodbye!" Kessa called as she ran past. "I'll see you in the morning!"

The woman smiled and waved Kessa a farewell. Kessa didn't stop running again until she had left the village behind her.

If Finoko knew about these trips, she never mentioned them. But Finoko was the last thing on Kessa's mind at that moment.

Kessa made her way through the caverns as quickly as she could. It didn't take long to reach the tunnel leading up to Horizon. It was going to be a steep climb but she had managed just fine in the past. She would press on tonight. The last bit of sun had gone down and stars were starting to appear one by one by the time she exited the tunnel on the other side. She had arrived in the settlement of Horizon.

Kessa glanced at the wall and gateway on the far side of Horizon. Soon. It would be very soon.

She made her way through Horizon. She had to make a brief stop at the chocobo stables there. She approached the worker and offered him gil to rent a chocobo. She took out of her spare savings for this. They settled on a price and she paid. The worker gave her the reigns of a chocobo and she thanked him. She held onto the reigns as she led the chocobo towards the south gate. It was well trained and followed her obediently.

Kessa stepped through the gates of Horizon. The view she had been longing to see awaited her. The city that had long ago stolen the hearts of both Kessa and her mother.

Ul'dah.

With night falling, the city was already lit up. The lights gave the buildings and towers an inviting glow. Of course the city was beautiful even in the daytime, but there was something about the look of it against the night sky that was very special in ways that were hard to express. Kessa's excited smile widened as she took in the view. She wanted to savor every second of this.

It did not matter how many times she took this trip. The sight of it always took her breath away.

Kessa gave herself a long moment to take it in. She then turned to the chocobo and hoisted herself up onto its saddle. Ul'dah was close enough to the village that Kessa could feasibly walk there, and she had done so in the past. The chocobo cut travel time by more than half. Using it meant more time to enjoy the visit to the city itself before she had to return to Crescent Cove. She would return with enough time to get back before Finoko woke up, so long as everything went to plan.

Kessa urged the chocobo forward and they were off. She returned to gaping in awe at the landscape whole keeping the chocobo running along the road. It seemed to know the route well enough that it didn't require much help from her at all which gave her more time to just enjoy the ride. This would be what little rest she would get for the night.

But this was well worth the lack of sleep.

She tried not to plan each visit too much but also knew she had to make use of all the time she had. A stop at the markets was a must, if only to see if anyone had a sale on pickaxes. She would likely be stopping by some of the courtyards. She also liked trying to find something new she had never seen before. There were still sections of the city she did not know well or had seen at all. She didn't want to risk getting too lost by straying too far from known areas, but the prospect of seeing something she hadn't before was so tempting enough that it would overwhelm her better judgement.

This would all have to wait until she reached the city regardless. It didn't take the chocobo long at all to carry her through Horizon's Edge and over the bridge over Nohpica's Wells.

As soon as they crossed the bridge though, the chocobo came to an abrupt stop. Kessa hadn't been prepared and she lurched forward until she regained her balance. Surprised, Kessa leaned to the side a little to look at the chocobo. It didn't seem distressed. It had just stopped moving.

Kessa glanced around a little. Nothing was in the way or threatening them in any way. She nudged the chocobo forward but it didn't move.

Confused, Kessa hopped down to the ground. She stepped around the immediate area in front of the chocobo but still saw nothing it should be concerned with. No monsters. No other chocobo. No travelers. Kessa went back to the chocobo and stroked its neck gently. It seemed receptive to her gesture. She took hold of the reigns and pulled forward. The chocobo once again took a couple steps forward to follow her.

"There we go, we're fine," Kessa assured the chocobo.

"It is quite a sight, is it not?"

Kessa lightly flinched in her surprise at the voice. She had just checked and there hadn't been anywhere near her. She leaned to look past the chocobo.

There was someone behind them. He was only a couple strides away. Very near to where the chocobo had stopped. He was close enough that she must have passed him but she hadn't seen anyone on the road. True, she had been enthralled by the city, but it still seemed strange to think she hadn't seen him at all.

He was a Lalafell. His attire was rather strange. She could only assumed him to be male based on his voice. His robe was rather tattered and a deep maroon in color. It had a tall collar that obstructed part of his face. One of his eyes was covered by cloth from his tall, pointed hat so really all she could see of his face was that one eye. He had a staff with him but wasn't using it to aid his travel since it was merely attached to his back and not in use. It was made of fine, decorated metal and had a red orb lodged at one end of it. Kessa had never seen anyone dressed like this before.

Kessa hadn't seen him until he had spoken. Also the fact that he was standing so near where the chocobo had stopped was also swirling in Kessa's brain to where she didn't know what his greeting meant. He seemed to notice this and motioned behind her.

"The city," he added. "It's a sight."

"Oh," Kessa uttered in her surprise. She collected herself and smiled at him politely. "Yes, it is." She glanced up at the city. "I love the city, especially at night."

"It is special," he agreed.

He started forward. Kessa started to pull the chocobo to one side and allow the Lalafell to pass, but instead he walked off the road slightly. He climbed up onto a boulder resting nearby.

"Is this your first time visiting Ul'dah?" He inquired.

"No, actually," she noted. "I have been before. I come here whenever I get the chance."

The Lalafell reached the top of the boulder and stood near the edge of it. This seemed to be a way to lift himself to be higher and be able to face Kessa on her level. He was still slightly shorter even with this but it did make it a more comfortable. She took this as a sign he wished to start a conversation.

"An Adventurer, are you?" He inquired next.

"Me?" Kessa asked, looking down at herself. Au Ra were not normally native to Thanalan so this wasn't that unusual of a question. She chuckled and waved a hand dismissing it. "Oh, no nothing like that. My mother brought me here to Thanalan and I've been here ever since. I haven't been outside these lands for years."

"So you are not Thanalan born," he noted. "You must come from the Azim Steppe then, I take it."

Kessa nodded in acknowledgement. Whoever this Lalfell was, he seemed to have at least a base knowledge of the world outside of Eorzea. Her Xaela appearance pointed to a one place in particular.

"I was born there," she clarified. "My mother was of the Ura Clan. We work as miners as we travel the mountains around the Steppe. She wanted to learn about the ore and materials available around the world and so she brought me to Thanalan." She frowned sadly. "She… she became ill not long after and passed."

"You did not return to the Steppe?" He questioned.

Kessa kicked a foot uncomfortably. "Word was sent to my father," she recounted sadly. "He was not Ura. I don't know much about him other than he and Mother did not agree about how to raise me and this made them decide to live separately. I do not know whatever happened to him. He has never come to get me and we have not heard from him in all this time. That is fine. I like it here in Thanalan and wish to stay here."

"You've made a home for yourself here," he commented.

The observation hit Kessa unexpectedly. She loved Thanalan, yes. She loved Ul'dah especially. She did reside in Crescent Cove. It was home in some sense.

But had she _made_ it that way? Hadn't it really been that she had been given no other choice than to stay in the place after her mother died?

Was this how she wanted it to be?

These were not questions to be asking with a stranger and so she forced a smile. She stroked the chocobo as it patiently waited alongside her.

"Yes, I suppose," she uttered. She turned and looked up at the city again. "But if I had any other wish, it would be to live _here_. In Ul'dah. I would like to make that my home. I just have to find a way to make it happen."

"Ah, I see," the Lalafell mused. "Ul'dah has plenty of need for Thaumaturges. It should not be difficult to find a place for yourself within its walls."

Kessa smiled at the comment for a brief moment but then her smile faded as her feelings were replaced by confusion. She tried to make sense of his statement but there was a part that didn't to seem to have a place in their conversation.

"Thaumaturges?" She blurted, turning to face him again. Who had said anything about Thaumaturges to justify his observation?

"Of course," he returned as if he had said nothing strange. "You plan on studying and working with the Thaumaturge Guild as means of making your living."

Kessa's confusion was only growing and she was struggling to find her words.

"Miner's Guild," was the first thing she could get to come out of her mouth. "I… My mother… I am going to be a miner. I wish to work for the Miner's Guild. _That_… I mean… If they would have me."

Now the Lalafell seemed just as confused as she had been. From under his hat and above his collar, she saw his eye widen in shock.

"A miner?" He repeated. "Are you sure?"

Kessa managed a nervous nod. "Y-yes, quite sure," she insisted.

He shook his head. "Forgive me," he managed. "I mean no offense. It's just…" He lifted a hand towards her and moved it up and down slightly to motion to her body. "You had such a natural ability to channel aether, I was positive you had to be studying Thaumaturgy."

Kessa looked over herself again. Aether? Thaumaturgy? What about her even remotely gave the impression she knew anything about magic? She waved both hands at him in embarrassment.

"No, no," she mustered. "I'm afraid you must be mistaken. I couldn't do something like that."

"How do you know?" He challenged. "Have you ever tried?"

She pondered the first part of the question, but then shook her head. "No," she admitted. "I know nothing of magic or aether. I have only studied mining."

"Then we shall change that," he suggested offhandedly.

The Lalafell reached into his robe. He rummaged his hand around briefly as he searched for something. He pulled out a short wand. It was simple and seemed aged. It had a crystal of some sort on one end of it but it was dull and had faint cracks going through it.

He offered it to Kessa. "Try," he said simply.

Kessa shook her head and waved a hand again. "Oh, no," she attempted. "No thank you. I'm sure I couldn't even-"

"You won't know until you try," he interrupted. "I will show you. There is nothing to fear."

Kessa glanced around but found no way to argue. She looked back at the wand. Surely she would not be able to use it so what was the harm? He would see she had no talent and then the issue would be settled.

She stepped closer and accepted the wand. As soon as he released it into her hand, she felt something. It was strange. It surprised her. She stared down at the worn metal and crystal in a dull bewilderment.

It was hard to identify what the feeling was. There was something flowing through it. It was invisible. Made no sound. Nothing had seemed special about this item before but now that it was in her hand, it made her somehow aware that it had something within it. It was moving.

And somehow… she was aware the source of whatever this was was her own being.

Kessa peered at the wand before looking back at the Lalafell. There was a smile in his eye.

He reached back and took hold of the staff on his back. He turned as he held it out in front of himself.

"Watch," he said. "Focus. Do as I do."

"I don't-" Kessa began to object again.

The Lalafell held the staff back to one side and she saw the orb begin to shine and emit some sot of purple mist. He flung his arm forward and the staff erupted, resulting in the creation of some sort of crystal.

No, ice. It was ice.

Kessa didn't have time to question how she knew that. The ice orb was flung towards another rock formation nearby. It shattered against the rock and left bits of itself behind.

The Lalafell turned and looked at her. "Try," he urged again.

Kessa looked at him briefly before looking back down at the wand she had been given. Her plan had been to take it, try to cast, and when that failed, return the item to its owner and never think about magic ever again.

But there was something strange happening to her. She saw him cast that magic. This had been the first time she had ever seen anything like that up close. She had never even thought to try it herself. She had no reason to. No opportunity. No ambition. No training or tools. How could she have thought anything would happen?

She was supposed to fail and return the wand.

But this feeling building up in the wand and within her. The cast was simple. She was going to succeed.

Simple? What? She knew nothing about aether or magic. How could she judge its simplicity? And how could she possibly duplicate that spell? Surely she wouldn't be able to do this. Surely he was wrong about her. She was a miner. She knew how to swing a pickax. That was nothing special. She was nothing special. Thaumaturgy took time. Training. Knowledge. Talent. Surely she had none of that.

So how did she know she could, and would, be able to cast that spell?

The confusion and unfamiliarity with these feelings drew out Kessa's nervousness again. She shook her head and tried to hand the Lalafell his wand back.

"No, I can't," she argued. "I shouldn't."

"Why?" He pressed.

"I… I…" she tried to think of some sort of excuse. She had to talk her way out of this. "I just can't. This is a waste of your time."

He uttered a laugh. "Only if you don't cast," he retorted.

She didn't stop to consider his statement. She just kept holding up the wand to urge him to take it. He stepped back to keep it out of his reach. He pointed his free hand to the rocks where he had fired his spell.

"Focus," he repeated. "Show me."

Kessa looked around again. This night was not at all progressing like she had expected. She should be down the road approaching the gates of Ul'dah. She was not supposed to be learning magic of all things. She should refuse. She should put the wand down and never hold one again. She had no need for one. Yes. She would put it down, bid farewell to the traveling Lalafell, and then return on her way alone to Ul'dah. She was wasting time as it was. That is what she should do.

But that's not what she did. She wasn't sure what came over her, but suddenly she was pulling her arm to the side just as he had. Before she could stop herself, she was focusing the flow through the wand and it started to glow in a similar way as his staff had. All she had to do was move her arm fire the spell forward. All she had to do.

Kessa quickly stepped back, breaking her form and concentration. The glow around the wand faded.

"No, nothing happened, I told you!" she blurted loudly. She hurriedly stepped back towards the boulder and sat the wand down in front of him. She put her hands stiffly to her sides and stumbled a couple steps away.

Kessa tried to keep her eyes on the ground in front of her. She knew she was lying. She knew he knew she was lying. He would have seen the glow. He would have seen her form. He was obviously some sort of wizard or expert. He would know better. He had clearly known from the very beginning. He had spotted this talent in her in ways she couldn't begin to comprehend. He had been right and there was nothing she could do to disprove his impression of her. In that sense, it seemed strange to lie about it at all. He probably knew this too.

She was only somewhat questioning herself in why she was bothering to deny what was happening. It just seemed easier to do so.

Kessa couldn't help herself and looked back over at him. She still could only see his eye, but he clearly was smirking at her. But then he took a deep breath and his gaze softened.

"Does power frighten you?" He probed.

Kessa studied him. She wasn't sure if she had an answer to even try to give him.

He gave her a moment to think it over. When she didn't respond, he continued.

"Weakness is easy," he explained. "Anyone and everyone can be weak. They can be complacent. They can settle for whatever they are given. Weakness is easy if not pleasant. Power can come naturally. It can even be given. However, those with power can still be weak. They can still do and change nothing with the power they have. What makes the powerful truly strong is when they are not complacent with what they are given. They use that power to fight for what it is they want. They fight to earn their strength and their desires."

The Lalafell bent down and picked up the wand again. He stepped up to edge of the boulder closest to Kessa and held the wand up to her.

"You have power," he pointed out. "That fact alone does not need to frighten you. It does not mean anything will change about you or your situation. Power on its own means nothing. It is nothing. That is, unless, you decide you would also want to be strong. But that I would leave to you to decide."

Kessa looked into his gaze for a long moment while he waited for her. She then stared down at the wand timidly.

If only on a base level, she understood what he was offering. The fact that she had these abilities did not need to concern her so much. It was natural. Nothing to worry about. Nothing had to change about her life.

Then again… she could make changes… if she wanted to.

Only if she wanted.

…Did she?

The answer came quickly. Of course she did. She wanted to leave Crescent Cove and live in Ul'dah and work as a miner to support herself.

Thaumaturgy, magic, aether, whatever it was, that had nothing to do with those plans. She didn't need it.

But… it couldn't hurt to have it anyway, right?

Kessa slowly reached over and took the wand back from him. She instantly felt the flow moving through it again. She looked down at it for a few moments longer.

She could use it. She didn't have to, but she could. She never knew about this power, but apparently she had it. Maybe she had been born with it. Maybe she had developed it as she had grown. Whatever the case, it didn't really matter, she had it. The only thing that mattered was if she chose to use it and how. Those decisions didn't really matter at that moment.

Kessa pulled her arm and wand back again. The glow appeared again and she gave it the brief moment she knew it needed. She then flung her arm forward and fired the spell just as the Lalafell had. And just like he had, she created a ball of ice that flew towards the rock formation. It shattered against the rock near where he had fired his.

It had worked. It had really worked.

Kessa looked down at the wand again. If she hadn't met that Lalafell, if she had never held that wand, she would never have known this about herself.

He had a point when he said power on its own meant nothing. You had to use to it to be stronger and to give that power meaning.

But still, she felt… stronger. Even if only a little.

Kessa looked back up at the Lalafell who seemed satisfied with the display. They looked at each other for a moment without saying a word.

…Who was he?

"Oh!" Kessa stammered as she came back to her senses. "Um, thank you. I didn't know I…" She chuckled nervously at herself. She held the wand up to him. "Thank you for showing me."

He held up a hand in protest. "Keep it," he offered. "I have no use for it."

"I couldn't," she urged, trying to push it closer to him.

"No, I insist," he persisted. "Just like everything else, it's up to you if you use it. But if you _do_ decide to use it, you will need something to practice with. You'd have more need of it than I would." He gave her a hard look. "And if you do decide to pursue this power, you should visit the Thaumaturge Guild. They can teach and guide you."

"I… I don't know," she surrendered, glancing down at the wand again. "This was… unexpected. I really don't know what to think about all this."

"That is fine," he assured her. "It is your power. It's up to you to use it if and when you want to. There is no need for you to make that decision tonight. Take whatever time you require."

The Lalafell turned and made his way back down to the ground. He started walking in the opposite direction Kessa had been going. This seemingly put him on the path towards Horizon.

"Who are you?" Kessa heard herself asking suddenly.

He came to a stop and looked at her.

"Ququruka," he responded. "Ququruka is my name."

Kessa tried to commit the name to memory. "Thank you again," she repeated.

Ququruka turned away again. He didn't make a move though. He stood there for a short time before speaking again.

"The only thing that grows stronger by planting roots in one place is a tree," he mentioned.

Kessa wasn't sure what he was trying to say with that. He looked back at her again.

"I expect great things from you, Kessa," he told her.

With that said, Ququruka turned and left on his way again. Kessa watched him before looking back at his gift. She studied it closely. She wondered based on its age and wear how many other Thaumaturges had used it and for how long.

Then Kessa twitched. She had asked Ququruka for his name, but she couldn't remember ever giving her own. She looked back up where she had last seen him but he was completely gone.

This startled Kessa again. She stepped forward while looking around for him. He hadn't been moving that fast and the area was mostly open. Where had he gone?

She looked back down at the wand. It was still there. It was obviously in her hand. Obviously real. Not reason to doubt he was any less real. No need to question if it had really happened or not. It had.

Teleportation magic, more than likely. No doubt he could use something like that based on everything she had seen from him in that short time.

Kessa attached the wand to her side to make it easier to transport. She must have said her name earlier in the conversation and just forgotten mentioning it.

Kessa turned back to look up at Ul'dah. It was time to resume her journey there. She stepped back up to the chocobo who had loyally stood by for her. She climbed up onto its back and sent it forward. It continued on like nothing had ever happened. She smiled as she thought to herself how she hadn't even reached the city yet it was bringing her unexpected things.

Ul'dah was really something special.

Tonight had already been quite a night.


	2. Chapter 2

Ul'dah had been just as marvelous as ever.

Kessa dropped the chocobo off at the stables while she explored. There was a large portion of city's merchants that kept their shops open all night long. This is what made Kessa's overnight trips possible. She wandered the marketplace first. She wasn't alone as there were several other travelers and adventurers looking at the wares and haggling with the shop keepers. There was so much going on that no one really noticed the Auri girl. She was just another potential customer.

She did check the pickaxes. Any of them that would be a worthwhile upgrade were still outside her price range. She sighed in disappointment but hadn't been very surprised. She would just have to keep saving. She admired the clothing and furniture on display. These shops were constantly cycling through different kinds of merchandise so even though these things would probably never be within her budget, it was nice to look at them and day dream. She enjoyed the smells coming from the food stalls. Like normal, she couldn't help herself and indulged on a few sweets to munch on while she walked around. They never really had desserts in crescent Cove apart from some holiday celebrations. It was well worth the gil to buy a few pieces of candy for this rare excursion.

Near the end of her visit to the market, she had stopped to examine a jewelry display. She stood there for a short time, mostly looking over the stones and identifying the kind of mineral or gems they were. She had browsed this shop in the past and hadn't thought much of it.

The shopkeeper stood near her though and pointed out how they had useful accessories for casters. This puzzled Kessa initially as she wasn't sure why he would specifically mention that to her. He motioned to the wand still attached to Kessa's side and asked if she was a Thaumaturge.

Kessa laughed. She had only parted from that encounter a couple hours ago and yet she was being taken as a practicing Thaumaturge already. She dismissed the shopkeeper saying how unfortunately she could afford such things for now.

This had reminded her of the night's events and she realized she actually wasn't sure where the Thaumaturge Guild was. Ququruka had recommended she train there. She still wasn't sure she wanted to do so, but she saw no reason to not visit it. She had wanted to find something new and that seemed like to be just as good of place as any.

She asked one of the shopkeepers who directed her to a far end of the city on the steps of Nald. She made her way over there and was quite surprised when she found it. She had seen other guilds around the city and they mainly occupied a specific room but little more. The Thaumaturge Guild had a rather large building all to itself. She soon discovered the reason for this was they shared this space with a temple to Thal.

She stepped into the building on meaning to take a quick look. A nearby receptionist greeted here and informed her that most of the Thaumaturges, including the guildmaster, were away resting for the night. They offered to answer any questions she had but she excused herself. Just knowing where the guild was located was more than enough for now.

Kessa made a brief stop on the Steps of Thal to visit some of her favorite courtyards. She admired the fountains and stonework. It was nice to have some peace and quiet compared to the rest of the bustling city. She also passed by the Miner's Guild. She had never had the courage to actually go inside and this night was no different. She stood outside the door just looking at it for a long time. She justified this as it being so late that the guild members were probably asleep too.

Then the time in Ul'dah came to an end.

It was always disheartening to know it was time to return home. She knew she couldn't let herself dawdle as she couldn't risk getting home after Finoko woke up. She just couldn't risk it. So with sadness, she returned to the chocobo stables to retrieve her rented chocobo. She gazed up at the gates of Ul'dah while she walked back out into Western Thanalan. She did not know when she could visit again but was already missing the city desperately.

Before she knew it, Kessa had ridden the chocobo all the way back to Horizon. She returned the bird to its keeper and thanked him again. She then made her way back to Crescent Cove.

It was still dark when she arrived. This was just as planned. As she was about to step into the village though, she stopped. She once again remembered and touched the wand on her side.

Normally when she went to Ul'dah, she wouldn't bring anything back with her so Finoko had no reason to be suspicious. If her caretaker saw this, how would she react? She suspected Finoko's opinion Thaumaturgy itself would likely be that it was a waste of time that brought in no gil. The more concerning thing was she would find out how Kessa had left the cove.

Finoko would be angry. Maybe even more than that.

Kessa instinctively knew she needed to hide it. She took the wand from her side and stored it away in the bag she normally carried on her. She would just have to hope Finoko wouldn't think of a reason to search her belongings.

Kessa entered the village and quietly snuck into Finoko's house. She could hear Finoko snoring away still. This came as a relief. She then crept over to the sleeping area and carefully climbed into her bed. She was exhausted and was glad to be able to doze there briefly. At one point she heard Finoko when she got up for her day. Kessa stayed in bed for a while longer. She knew Finoko would complain and get her up before too long but wanted to get what rest she could.

And from here out, Kessa expected things to return to normal. She would have a long day of trying to mine for what little she could find and then do it again every day after that. The routine would repeat like it always had since her mother had died.

At first, this is what happened.

But then something changed.

Kessa usually kept her pack on her. The intention was to carry her findings plus any food she needed throughout the day. She had stored the wand inside it to make sure Finoko didn't see it. It was a comfort to know she could safely guard it from her caretaker. However, whenever she got into the bag she would see it there and remember she had it. After being reminded of its presence so often throughout her days, it started being more on her mind. She often thought back to her short lesson with Ququruka that night. Instead of staying focused on her mining all day, magic casting started to make its way into her daydreaming more and more.

After more than a week of this, Kessa finally decided to take the wand out. She took another look around the cove to make sure she was totally alone before she cast her Blizzard spell a few times. This was fun. She just hit the rocks around her and this served no purpose, but just the act brought unexpected enjoyment.

Her normal routine changed to add an hour of magic every day. She felt very comfortable with the Blizzard spell at this point. After a lot more practice, she started feeling this urge to reverse the flow of power she felt. She puzzled over this a bit and tried doing so. At first nothing really seemed to happen but the flow became steady and natural like it could have always been that way. She tried casting a spell a few more times and suddenly one of them was successful. Instead of creating ice, this time it was fire. This came as a surprise. Fortunately there was no one around to get hurt and it harmlessly hit the rocks in front of her. She recovered from her surprise quickly and tried casting the fire a few more times. It didn't take long to get for this spell. It was easy to cast but she did notice how much more draining it was than casting Blizzard. She soon found she couldn't cast at all after so many Fire spells. She would have to force herself to rest after she ran out of strength.

The hour of practice each day soon turned into two. She had to keep herself from adding any more to it. One day she was unable to find anything while mining and Finoko was very angry with her the rest of the evening. She never was violent with Kessa, but would scold and insult her. She would shout and yell about how Kessa was wasting her time and how if they didn't have enough money for food, it was her fault. Kessa was so "ungrateful" and was "just taking advantage" of Finoko's kindness. Kessa just silently took the barrage. From then on she would make sure she had found something worth selling before she started practicing her magic to avoid this ever happening again.

She knew it was impossible to please Finoko, but thought it best to avoid angering her.

Kessa's days went along like this for some time. Wake up, mine, magic, mine, go home, sleep. It struck her one day how much she was looking forward to magic practice. She started wondering why. She tried brushing off this question as she wasn't sure the answer mattered. But it wouldn't leave her alone. She thought about it throughout the day and the next. She knew it wasn't that she was bored with mining. She still enjoyed that part of her day. She only would cast on rocks and water so it wasn't as if she was training herself to be a warrior. She had no intention of fighting. So it was using the magic on its own that was so exhilarating and she wondered what it was about it that made her feel this way.

The answer came to her suddenly and she was surprised at its simplicity.

It was something _new._

It was so simple that she tried to dismiss it, but the more she thought about it, the more she came to realize it was true. It was something until recently she had never done. She hadn't known anything about it but it was exciting to try and master it. She had been stuck doing the same things each day for all these years. Now she had found something to add to her day that let herself have fun. It helped her improve. It was something different.

This conclusion soon lead her to a new question. Why did she need something new? Why did something have to change? What was wrong with what she was doing?

Was she… that dissatisfied with her life?

These questions troubled her. Finoko had always taught her that she shouldn't want more in life than what she needed. She needed food, shelter, and an occupation that helped provide those things. Kessa had long ago decided what she wanted was to pursue a life in Ul'dah, but Finoko wouldn't hear of this and insisted she stay in Crescent Cove. She had been winning this argument for years.

But now that Kessa was thinking all of this over, she started to ask why she had to follow Finoko's wishes.

When she had been a child, the answer was because she had no where else to go. When she became a teenager, it was because it was unlikely anyone would take her mining skill seriously. But now that she was an adult, what was keeping her with Finoko? Did she still need to rely on Finoko for anything? Finoko sure didn't seem to need Kessa. Finoko was old, but still more or less took care of herself. The only thing Finoko asked Kessa for was a share of her daily earnings. They were not family. Finoko had never shown interest in Kessa's passions. They did not confide in each other. Kessa wasn't even sure Finoko enjoyed her company. In Kessa's mind, she wasn't happy living there and Finoko wasn't happy to have her there in return.

And so why stay?

This was a question she felt she must have asked herself before. Only now she just could not remember any of her answers, nor could she think of new ones.

Why was she still there?

Weeks had passed since that trip to Ul'dah. Kessa had found her dissatisfaction only growing. Things that she didn't trouble herself over before now only served to annoy her. How everyone only seemed to talk about fishing. How little she was able to mine from the cavern. The temperature of the water she had to walk through. Finoko's constant glares and criticism. The lengths she had to go to hide her gil and wand from Finoko. How everyone around her was friendly but she had no real friends.

She was not happy.

She only briefly wondered how selfish she was being. The other villagers did not have much but they did not complain. They had each other and their homes and that seemed to be all they wanted. But then she thought back to how even her neighbor had said no one had expected her to stay there. They were happy there, but it must have been obvious how she wasn't. They knew it. Now she knew it.

Why was she still there? Why couldn't she come up with any answers?

Then one morning came. She ate what breakfast Finoko had left behind for her and left the house. She turned to head to the cavern as normal, but suddenly she froze. She couldn't get herself to move. She just stood there staring at the cavern ahead of her.

She couldn't do it.

If she went to go mine, another day would pass of her doing the same thing.

Nothing would change.

She would be stuck.

This wasn't what she wanted.

This wouldn't make her happy.

…So why do it?

An unfamiliar dread washed over her. Panic, almost. She realized that even if she answered her questions, she would hate the outcome. It would not bring her comfort. The resulting numbness made it so she couldn't move. The village seemed to continue its work around her without troubling themselves over her. She wasn't sure how long she stood there before she turned the other direction. She found herself wandering over to the cliffside overlooking the ocean. She watched and listened to the waves while her mind tried to make sense of all of her doubts. It had rained during the night which left the morning sky cloudy. The gray skies seemed to match her mood.

She knew standing there would resolve nothing. She would get no closer to solving her problem. It just happened to be all she could do.

"What are you doing?"

Finoko's voice only served to drive up Kessa's irritation all over again. She scowled as Finoko came up behind her. She didn't have to look at her to know she was glaring.

"Day's started," Finoko snapped. "If you aren't going to go dig then you may as well get one of the fishermen to put you to work."

Kessa did nothing to acknowledge Finoko's comment or presence. Finoko even stood up closer to Kessa's side in an attempt to get her attention. For a short time, neither of them said anything. Finoko seemed to be getting more annoyed with Kessa's disobedience while Kessa was becoming more annoyed with her situation.

"We were never supposed to land here," Kessa finally spoke up. She motioned to the boat docks. "A storm blew us off corse and we had to port here instead of of in Vesper Bay."

Finoko peered at her. "Nald saw it fit to spare you," she muttered.

"We needed shelter from the storm," Kessa continued to recount. "The ship's crew took up most of the space in the other houses. You let my mother and I stay with you. When the storm broke and we went to Ul'dah, you told my mother not to worry about other accommodations since we were already staying with you. We would travel between Western and Central Thanalan but always returned here because you let us."

Finoko folded her arms. "Yes," she said. "I know how I provided for you when I didn't have to. You don't have to tell me."

"Mother got sick," Kessa went on. "She realized her time was limited. She sent that letter to my father. She asked him to come get me. She told me to wait with you but to go with my father when he arrived."

"And he never came for you," Finoko noted. "He didn't want you."

Kessa ignored the comment.

"It was never Mother's plan for me to stay," she pointed out. "She wanted me to leave this place as soon as I could."

Finoko's eyes narrowed as she started to see Kessa's point. "You are not leaving," she said simply. "I forbid it."

Kessa turned to face her in exasperation. "And why not?!" She blurted. "Why should I stay here?! I don't want to be here! I don't _need_ to be here!"

"All you need is here!" Finoko repeated.

"Maybe all _you_ need," Kessa corrected angrily. "I'm not happy here! If you want to stay, that's fine! But there is nothing for me here!"

Finoko sighed and put a hand on her hip. She gave Kessa a cold look.

"You're so much like Altos," she spat. "_Too_ much like her. You don't understand."

Kessa failed to see how being like her mother was a bad thing. Finoko waved her free hand up to the ocean.

"Altos told me of your homeland," she explained. "How her clan moved place to place in those mountains. Then she met that father of yours. They didn't take the time to realize how they had different ways of living. They just acted on their impulses and you came around. They couldn't reconcile their differences and just kept living apart. Then Altos still wasn't satisfied with life there so she brought you here. She had no plan on where to go. Where to work. Where to live. I gave her that, right up until she died. She had no other plan on what to do with you. She wasn't prepared for anything in her life and so I'm the one who had to clean up after her."

Finoko leaned in closer. She had always been taller than Kessa. As a child this glare had been intimidating but today Kessa was holding her own and glaring right back.

"You think you have this plan to live in your beloved Ul'dah," Finoko growled. "Just like Altos, you think leaving will make you happy. If you were to try and leave, you would find yourself swept up into inconsistency and failure. Your plan will not go as you think it will. Ul'dah will not be enough for you. You will always go on to the next thing. Nothing will be enough."

Finoko folded her arms. "This village has what you need," she maintained. "Stability. Consistency. Shelter. Food. Work. You've been here for years. You have followed and stuck to _my _plans. You have seen how they have succeeded. That is because I know how to plan. Because I know what's best. You know this place. You know what to expect. There is no reason for anything to change. No reason for you to leave. You can plant your roots here and _thrive_."

The statement sparked in Kessa's mind. Finoko had said it in a way to imply she was making her final point but it only sent Kessa's mind racing. Suddenly Ququruka's comment made sense. She did not have the time to wonder about the phrasing both of them had used. She found herself parroting Ququruka's words.

In that moment, a decision had been made.

"The only thing that grows stronger by planting roots in one place is a tree," Kessa reiterated.

Finoko seemed somewhat shocked that Kessa had dared continue to refute her arguments.

"You can not be still thinking of leaving," Finoko snarled.

"I am," Kessa realized it herself. "I'm convinced that it's the right decision."

"Ul'dah is swarming with beggars," Finoko pointed out, "thieves, adventurers, refugees. I hear the stories. You think you'll be able to build a life for yourself when they can't?"

"Some people make it, some don't," Kessa agreed. "I won't know until I try."

"_That_ attitude is exactly the problem!" Finoko barked. "That is why you will fail! You don't have a plan! You don't have a back up plan! You don't know how things will go!"

"Neither do you!" She returned. "I could find a job and place to live as soon as I get there! You don't know that I won't!" Kessa motioned to the shoreline. "You don't know what will happen here either! A storm could hit us at any time and take out this whole village! There are Garleans camped to the north! If they finally attack, do you think they will just skip us over on their way to Ul'dah? What is _your_ plan then if those things happen?"

"I've lived here my whole life," she scoffed in an offended tone. "We can handle any storm. The Garleans have been there for years and are no closer to attacking than when they got there. They will never attack. That base is only to serve their own egos."

"So then you _don't_ have a plan for when something goes wrong," Kessa pointed out. "You just think you can plan for everything to work out for you which is exactly what I'm doing! It just so happens my plans have me living in a different place!"

"That is not the point and you know it!" Finoko complained.

"I don't care if it's the point or not," Kessa muttered. "I don't even really care what you think! I want to live in Ul'dah. I don't want to be here! If you're worried about being alone, don't be. Everyone else is still here to help you. I won't even be that far away if I want to visit. You can stop complaining about having to provide for me because you won't have to anymore. You'll have your home to yourself."

"You're so ungrateful!" Finoko hissed. "I can't believe you'd even-"

"I am grateful!" Kessa interrupted in a loud enough voice that it was almost a shout. "Very grateful for what you've done! I will even keep sending you the gil I can spare to keep paying off whatever debt you believe I still owe. I appreciate you letting me live with you all this time, Noko. I do. But this is no longer my place."

"I _forbid_ you to leave!" Finoko said through clenched teeth.

Kessa rolled her eyes. Her decision had already been made and Finoko was not going to change it.

"I was not asking your permission, Noko," she corrected. "I am leaving for Ul'dah. Today."

With this, Kessa turned and headed back towards Finoko's home. Finoko gaped after her in utter shock. Once Kessa was back inside, Finoko seemed to recover enough to follow her.

"You can't leave!" Finoko shouted when she reached the doorway.

Kessa was shoving the few items of clothing she had into her pack. "Stop me," she challenged.

Finoko was caught off guard once again. Kessa had always backed down when they argued before. Kessa was actually just as confused as Finoko was at where this sudden stubbornness had come from. Part of her was enjoying it though so she was trying to hold onto it.

"You'll never make it out there," Finoko insisted. "You'll be homeless. Do you expect that I'll just take you back in when you fail?"

Kessa finished gathering everything she could carry. She didn't have a lot so this was simple to do. She stood up straight and turned to look at Finoko.

"No, I don't," she acknowledged. "I'm leaving for good, I know that." She started for the door. "If there are other people living on the streets in Ul'dah, I guess I'll just have to do that too."

Kessa didn't wait for Finoko's response. She forcibly pushed past her to go back outside. She didn't head in the direction to leave the village just yet. She started up the rocky shoreline first. Finoko kept following after her.

"You don't know what it's like out there," Finoko continued to argue. "You have no idea what you're getting into!"

"No," she agreed again. "But I'm willing to go out and learn all about it on my own."

Kessa didn't trouble herself over Finoko following her to the hiding spot. She moved the rock and pulled out the gil she had stashed there. She put this into her pack and went to leave without even hiding the hole again. She had no reason to keep it a secret anymore.

"Where is all this coming from?" Finoko whined. "Who filled your head with all this nonsense? Who turned you against me?"

Kessa thought of Ququruka but only in the sense that she knew his short lesson had somehow given her the strength she needed. He showed her she had power. Power she had to ability to use if she wanted. The strength to stand up to Finoko was a power she hadn't known she had but was glad she was finally making use of it.

"I've been telling you I wanted to leave for years," Kessa reminded her. "You should not be so surprised."

"But you were never serious before!" Finoko argued.

This made Kessa laugh. It was a cold, bitter laugh but a laugh.

"I've always been serious," she insisted. "You were the one who wasn't taking it seriously!"

She was nearing the village exit. Finoko was still following her but Kessa knew she'd stop when she stepped outside the village border. Finoko never left that place. Kessa was more than ready to.

"You're making a mistake," Finoko kept trying. "You think that place will bring you happiness but you'll only find disappointment and misery."

"I'm leaving, Noko," Kessa persisted with a sigh. "You can't stop me."

Another voice called out before Finoko could. "Kessa, wait!"

Kessa and Finoko both stopped and turned to see the neighbor woman. She held up a hand to motion them to stay there before she dashed off into her home. Finoko took this chance to turn back to face Kessa.

"You will fail," she declared again. "You don't have the knowledge or strength to make it on your own. You have no where to go. Nothing to offer. You think you'll be able to support yourself on a couple gil a day by selling rocks? You'll starve if you don't die of exposure first! You have no idea what you're doing."

Kessa was beyond finished with their discussion and didn't even look at Finoko while she spoke. The neighbor woman quickly emerged from her home holding a basket. She ran up to Kessa. She gave her a breathless smile.

"Take this with you," she offered, holding up the basket. Inside was some bread and a couple pieces of fruit. "It's not much but I don't want you to leave here hungry."

Kessa's anger melted away and she was moved. She felt her eyes water a little. At least someone was showing their support of her decision. The neighbor woman covered the contents of the basket with a cloth before inviting Kessa to take it. Kessa looped it over one of her arms while she beamed up at the woman.

"Thank you," she said.

"Be safe out there," the woman told her. "It might be rough on your own, but I think you have what it takes."

"No she doesn't!" Finoko exclaimed angrily. Kessa rolled her eyes again as the moment of kindness was dashed by Finoko's negativity. "Why am I the only one around here with any sense?!"

Kessa turned away and marched across the village border. The neighbor waved as she went but stayed behind. Finoko hesitated but then started to follow after Kessa.

"You are being foolish!" Finoko continued to scold her. "You're not prepared to be on your own. You have no place to go and nothing to do! You won't be safe and can't even defend yourself!"

To her credit, this was the furthest outside the village Kessa had ever seen Finoko travel, even if they were only a few strides past the border. Neither of them were able to appreciate this moment as Kessa was too busy trying to ignore what Finoko was telling her.

Before they got much further, they heard a loud screech and saw one of the buzzards of the surrounding area diving towards them. They both came to a quick stop and ducked down to avoid it. Its talons missed their target and the bird flew back up to swing around and try again. The neighbor woman and still been watching and saw the attack. She ran towards them to make sure they weren't hurt. Kessa and Finoko both looked up at it in surprise but Finoko soon just became angry.

"You see?" She shouted at Kessa. "You can't even handle the beasts around here! What will you do when you come across the dangers worse than this?!"

Kessa just looked at her dully. She had navigated this very cave hundreds of times without worry of being attacked. She was fairly certain the only reason they were being attacked now was because Finoko's shouting was disturbing the wildlife.

But Kessa did not have to answer Finoko's question with words. While the bird was turning back around, Kessa calmly reached into her pack. She removed the wand and focused on the bird as she pulled her arm back.

As the buzzard swooped down a second time, Finoko ducked down again but Kessa stood her ground. She attacked back with a blast of fire. The flame made contact with the bird and it screeched in pain. It stopped in mid air as Kessa prepared a second attack. Finoko looked up again to see Kessa's second attack hit the bird.

The buzzard was wounded and struggling to stay airborne. It started flying away, halting the attack. Kessa watched it as it went to make sure they were safe.

"Kessa…" Finoko uttered weakly. "What… Where…"

Finoko knew about the magic. The wand. Now she knew. Kessa turned back and looked at her with the same firm stare. Their eyes didn't leave each other's while Kessa put the wand away again.

Kessa said nothing else. She turned and headed down the pathway that would take her to Horizon. That was all she concentrated on. The neighbor woman had seemed pleasantly surprised and waved Kessa off again. Finoko stayed in place. The same place she had always been.

Kessa left her there.

Kessa's determination held firm until she reached Horizon. As she exited the tunnel, suddenly her strength left her and she had to bend over and grab her knees to keep herself from falling over.

She had just left Finoko.

She had just left the village she grew up in.

She had no where to go. A vague dream to follow but that was it.

She had some food that she could probably make last a couple days if she rationed it well.

She had just been attacked by a monster and fought it off for the first time ever.

A lot had happened. There was a lot to take in. A lot to process. A lot she had to do.

Was she wrong? Was she too hasty? She had some gil and clothes. How long would they last? Where would she even go to find a place to stay? What if the miner's guild wouldn't take her? What if she really couldn't handle it? Finoko seemed adamant she wouldn't let Kessa come back. Would she be unable to visit? Could she not show her face in that town ever again? Had she been cruel to Finoko? Unfair? Finoko seemed to have been looking out for Kessa in her own way. Maybe Kessa should have listened. It wasn't so bad back there. She could make it work a while longer, surely.

She was in a daze as she wandered through Horizon. She couldn't waste gil on a chocobo this time so she was going to have to make the journey on foot. She slowly made her way to the bordering gate and looked out at the world ahead.

What she saw was Ul'dah.

Waiting for her.

Kessa fought her doubts away. Maybe she had been wrong. Maybe she had been unprepared.

But she was finally moving in a direction that she wanted.

This was her decision. Wrong or right, she had made it. For herself.

She didn't know what would be in store for her, but she felt as though her life was finally beginning.

Kessa started making her way down the road to Ul'dah. Right, wrong, didn't matter.

She was finally doing it.

Finally on her own.

She was going to find a way to make this work.


	3. Chapter 3

This day would determine her future.

Kessa couldn't help thinking that as she started the journey to Ul'dah. Because she had to make her gil last as long as possible, she opted not to use a chocobo and instead made the trip on foot. The extra time gave her a chance to sort out her thoughts and feelings.

She hadn't woken up that morning expecting to leave the home she had grown up in.

Nor did she regret that decision.

When she crossed the bridge over Nohpica's Wells, she glanced around the place she had met Ququruka. Some small part of her expected to see him there again but this hadn't been the case. She teased herself, acknowledging that it would be silly to expect him to be there. She didn't know what the chances were of her meeting him ever again. If that opportunity did arise, she would take advantage of it. Not only had he introduced her to magic, but he showed her she had strength she hadn't been aware of. He had reminded her how she had the ability to make decisions of what to do with herself. This could have been how she found the willpower to start this journey. The willpower to start her new life.

For better or worse, that meeting had changed everything.

To what end, she wasn't sure. Her path was uncertain. All she could do was walk along it and try to make the best of whatever would happen.

It was still impossible to fight her nervousness. There were already so many people in Ul'dah. What could she offer that someone else wasn't already doing better? How would she support herself? Where should she even start?

It had been many years since she had been able to visit the city in daylight. With more people being active, the city was even more bustling than it was at night. A convoy of chocobo pulled wagons was making its way out of the city as she made her way in. She gaped up at the buildings and admired the citizens for managing to make their way through the crowds without getting in each other's ways. For a brief time, she got swept up in her excitement and love for the city and just wandered around in awe.

This was short lived as she came back to her senses. She firmly told herself how she didn't have time to sightsee. She was there for a reason. Her new life in Ul'dah wouldn't start until she had a place to call her own.

Kessa took a short time to try and finalize her plan. She actually wasn't sure where to even start looking for a place to live. After some thought, she decided employment might be her first priority. She needed to know what kind of income she would have to work with. The rest of her concerns would just have to wait.

And so it was off to the Miner's Guild she went.

She became even more nervous as she made her way there. Would they take her? Maybe she wasn't good enough. Maybe they didn't need anyone. Maybe her dream of working there was never going to become reality.

Kessa arrived before she had prepared herself. She set her belongings to the side before looking up at the guild entrance. She couldn't get herself to go inside. Not yet. She ended up staring at the guild doors for some time before she started to anxiously pace outside of them.

She had never done anything like this before. She had never had a job. She had only dug things up to sell on her own. What was she supposed to do? Just walk in and ask for work? Ask for pay? How much was normal pay? How much would she have to work? Would it be alone or with a team? What if there was some process to follow she didn't know about and she was about to make a complete fool of herself?

Kessa took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She stopped pacing and faced the doors again. She had to remind herself she wouldn't find the answers outside. She was going to have to just go in and give it her best.

She had been strong enough to stand up to Finoko. She could stand up to whatever challenge was ahead of her.

She had power. Power to make her life what she wanted. She was strong.

She just had to remind herself of that.

Kessa took another breath. She started to reach for the doors to push her way inside. She hesitated again. When she managed to try again, all she could do was open one of the doors just enough that she could squeeze herself inside. She knew she probably looked silly but was trying not to create a disturbance.

No one noticed the Au Ra as she entered though. She quietly closed the door behind her as she studied the guild hall. There was work and chatter going on all around the room. There wasn't much in way of decoration but this didn't seem surprising. Instead the contents of the room seemed to have practical uses such as displaying tools and equipment. There were a few workers seemingly appraising some ores that had been mined up and taken there. Everyone there seemed busy with something and they had no time to see the newcomer.

"Oh, hello there."

Kessa glanced towards the source of the greeting. There was a woman behind the reception desk who had become the first to see Kessa. The woman gave a short wave which Kessa took as an invitation to approach her.

"Hello," Kessa squeaked in reply.

"What can I help you with?" The woman asked, apparently not bothered by Kessa's awkwardness.

Kessa tensed up to brace herself. "Um, I would uh," she struggled to find her words. "I'm here to see about… joining the guild? Being a miner? Finding work? But I…" She forced a sheepish smile. "I hope I'm in the right place?"

The receptionist still didn't seem to mind. "Well, if you want to be a miner, you are in the right place for sure," she smiled. "All members have to be approved by our guild master, Adalberta." The woman motioned to another woman not far from them. "She's right over there in the center of the room looking at those maps. Go speak to her and she'll make the decision."

Kessa followed the receptionists line of sight to see the guild master in question. There was a woman looking at a map on a table next to her as had been described. She was likely Highlander in origin based on her height. She had long red hair and her clothing looked simple yet rugged and durable. There was a pickax on her back that was probably heavier than Kessa could even lift, let alone swing.

Kessa looked back at the receptionist who just nodded to show her encouragement. Kessa braced herself again as she stepped towards the guild master.

As Kessa approached, she saw how not only was the Highlander far taller than she was, but she also was very muscular and well toned. She had the build of someone used to manual labor. Her size made her somewhat more intimidating to the already nervous Au Ra approaching her.

Kessa made her way over to the woman and somehow managed to find her voice.

"Um, excuse me, Adalberta?" She uttered.

Adalberta glanced away from her map and towards Kessa. She had a somewhat annoyed look in her eye as she had been focused and now she was being pulled away from what she was doing.

"Yes?" She responded plainly.

"Uh," Kessa stammered once more. "I was told to… ask you…" Kessa cleared her throat and tried to stand up straight and tall. "I'm trying to find work as a miner and wanted to join your guild."

Kessa was somewhat surprised she got the sentence to come out as smoothly as she had. Adalberta stared at her for a moment before she looked Kessa over from head to toe.

"You?" Aldaberta inquired. "A miner?"

"Yes," Kessa persisted. Her confidence wavered slightly. "I-if you'd have me."

Aldaberta continued to study her. Kessa wasn't sure what to say or do next. She could only assume that Aldaberta was evaluating her already. She wasn't asking any questions at this point. Maybe Kessa wasn't giving off an air of a worker Aldaberta would be interested in. Maybe she didn't look the part enough.

Kessa could only think these things. She just had to hope that Aldaberta wouldn't turn her away without giving her the chance to prove herself.

Just a chance. Kessa needed one chance.

Aldaberta's expression wasn't changing. Kessa couldn't help but feel like she wasn't impressing the guild master.

Aldaberta turned to face Kessa fully. She had been leaning over her map so when she stood up straight her full height was on display. She put one hand on her hip and held her other hand out.

"Let me see your tool there," she said.

Kessa gaped at her in confusion. Adalberta bobbed her head to motion towards Kessa's own pickaxe still attached to her back. Briefly, Kessa wondered why the guild master would want to see her pickaxe. Was this really needed? This confusion caused Kessa to hesitate again while Adalberta waited with hand outstretched. Then Kessa reminded herself she was there to find work and needed to comply with any request as to not ruin her chances. Kessa fumbled as she reached for it. She was able to pull it off and held it up to Adalberta who took it. She held it up and started to examine it closely.

In spite of how Adalberta had originally come off as rather tough and angry, she held Kessa's tool very gently and gracefully. It might not have belonged to her, but Adalberta was treating it with respect and care. While her expression was firm, her eyes were soft.

Kessa realized her nerves had gotten the better of her. She knew that serene look. That was the look of an experienced miner. One who valued other miners. Adalberta was no one to fear.

"This tool is old," Adalberta reported. "Well used, but also well taken care of." Adalberta looked back at Kessa with a smirk. "Its owner knows a thing or two."

Kessa gave a bashful smile. Adalberta was judging Kessa the same way Kessa was judging her. Her nervousness was beginning to wash away. If nothing else, she had found an instant connection with someone else who had a love of mining.

Having come from a village full of fishermen, this was a wholly new yet welcome experience.

Adalberta handed the pickaxe back to Kessa. "I can learn more about another miner from their tool than their words," she commented. "So let's cut to the chase now, shall we?"

Kessa smiled at this and attached the pickaxe to her back again. "Please, go ahead," she welcomed.

"What's your name?" Adalberta inquired first.

"Kessa," she introduced.

"What brings you here?" She asked next.

"I just left home to move to Ul'dah today," Kessa explained. She saw no reason not to be honest about her situation but also wanted to keep it brief. "I am going to be living on my own so I need a job. I've been mining ores and materials since I was a child and always hoped I'd be able to find work doing that."

Adalberta nodded as she listened to the short story. She put a hand to her chin and rubbed it thoughtfully.

"Well, Kessa," she began, "I'd love to have you work here… but there are some things you would need to know first."

Kessa was pleased to hear the response. She nodded eagerly. Adalberta let out a soft sigh.

"The main thing you should know," she admitted, "is at this time, we are not hiring any full time workers. I can offer you a position but it would only be for part time work."

Kessa wasn't sure what this meant. Her expression was enough indication that Adalberta should keep explaining.

"When we get an order," she mentioned, "first they go through our full time miners. We get enough orders that this will keep them busy so they get paid regularly. If we have too many orders coming in, we will give those extra orders to our part time miners. They take the work that our full timers couldn't get to otherwise. This means that work for our part timers is irregular."

Kessa started to see what she was getting at. "Which means that their _pay_ is also irregular," she interpreted.

Adalberta nodded sadly at her. "Exactly," she said. "So like I said, I would love to have you, but I'm sorry to say that I don't have enough work that you'd be able to live off this alone."

This was disappointing. Kessa lowered her gaze thoughtfully as she tried to consider what to say or do next. Adalberta continued.

"You would still get paid a fair wage for whatever work I find for you," she attempted. "If down the line things change and we need more full time workers, we hire from our part time miners first. There are other part timers that may get chosen over you based on their seniority, but there is still the possibility that down the line the position could become full time." She held a hand out to Kessa. "I just want to be up front with you given your situation. I can't make any promises about you becoming full time any time soon, but it could happen one day."

Kessa took this information into consideration. She was still glad to hear how the guild would take her at all, even if it wasn't exactly what she was hoping. If she couldn't rely on the guild for her wages, she would have to find something she would be able to do in addition to her guild work.

But it was still impossible for her to see this as a negative result.

"It's a start," she concluded out loud. She looked up at Adalberta with a smile. "So if you will still have me, I'll gladly take the position."

Adalberta smiled at her. "That's what I like to hear," she confirmed. She then straightened herself out and put her hands on her hips with a serious expression on her face. She was ready to talk business. "Now technically to be accepted into the guild, you need to do _something_ to show you are able to do the work. It's a quick, simple job. You just need to bring in ten pieces of copper ore."

"Copper ore?" Kessa repeated. "Is that all?"

Adalberta smirked at her response. "It's an easy request," she surrendered. "You can find copper veins right outside the city if you know where to look." She shrugged. "But we're constantly getting requests for copper, so it's the best thing to test out our new members with. We can see how they work and we know we can sell whatever they bring in. Like I said, it's a technicality. Shouldn't be a problem for you, I assume."

Kessa nodded. "I can definitely do that for you," she affirmed.

"Get to it then," Adalberta urged playfully. "Take as long as you need and report back when you're finished."

Kessa gave her another enthusiastic nod. "Thank you for this chance!" She beamed. "I'll make sure to work hard!"

Kessa started for the entrance while giving Adalberta a wave. "I'll be back soon!" She promised.

Adalberta waved back with a smile. When Kessa was out of sight, she turned back to her work. In that moment, neither of them had any reason to think she would run into any issues completing the order. Something so easy to do wouldn't take her long. It wouldn't be long before Kessa was running back into the guild with her completed order.

This was going to be the first step in starting her new life in Ul'dah.

This was going to help guide her future.

It had been years since Kessa had been able to mine for copper. She had found some with her mother before her passing. She hadn't seen a speck of it anywhere near Crescent Cove so she was actually quite excited to search for it again.

She suspected some could be found in Western Thanalan, but she decided to go to Central Thanalan for it. That is where she had found it with her mother those years ago. And it had been so long since she visited the area, she wanted to see it again. So she left Ul'dah and stepped out into Central Thanalan. She smiled as she scanned the area. The desert area hadn't changed much in that time. Same horizon and plant life around the area.

Kessa did find something new though. There were a number of stalls set up along the walls surrounding Ul'dah. She could see camps set up as well nearby. She paused as she studied them. She couldn't remember if they had been there before. If they had been, there certainly had not been enough to stand out like this.

A quick scan of the people making use of this area gave Kessa the impression these were the refugees and less fortunate of Ul'dah's population. Any clothing they were wearing were extremely worn and very ragged. Most of the people were dirty and thin which pointed to not having enough food for each meal. While the shopkeepers were obviously working to make sales at the stalls, their selection was not of the quality of what was found in the Steps of Nald. The shoppers would likely struggle to afford these things, let alone anything better.

The people of Crescent Cove were not wealthy, but these people seemed to be even worse off than they were.

Kessa felt herself fill with not only pity but with worry. These people had come to Ul'dah like she had to make a life for themselves and had failed. It was entirely likely she would end up like them. It was probably also possible she would be living like them. She had employment, sure, but she was going to have to work hard to keep it and make it into something she could actually live off of. She still had a lot to do to make her life in Ul'dah viable.

She told herself she didn't have time to worry. She had work to do. She wanted to get that copper back to the guild quickly to start proving what sort of asset she could be to them.

Kessa started off through Central Thanalan but soon felt her stomach growling at her. She sheepishly realized she hadn't eaten anything since that morning. She found an isolated area to take a rest and eat some of the food she had been given. She smiled at the basket the neighbor woman had given her as she took some of the bread out. The kindness she had been shown was still moving to her. It was reassuring that there were people back home that were actually wanting her to succeed. Not everything in her past had been negative. She would be able to pull strength from her supporters.

Her future was still uncertain.

But she was still very optimistic.

She thought briefly about how much that moment had meant to her. Then how much every kind act before that had meant. It had made such a difference in Kessa's life to see people cooperating and helping each other. She hoped living her own life by their example would brighten someone else's situation in the same manor.

It was a nice thought at least.

Kessa ate until she was satisfied and then allowed herself some time to just sit and bask in the view of the nearby Ul'dah. She was where she wanted to be. She wanted at least a moment to be able to enjoy that feeling.

There was still work to do. After feeling rested and energized, she got back to her feet. While she knew copper could be found in the area, she still wasn't familiar enough to know exactly where. She mainly stuck to the nearby cliffside. She saw markings where other miners had likely worked before. The holes and chips in the stone were too sharp to be natural. Some places had been dug into more than others. She took her chance and started work nearby some of the places she could see had been a lot. She would dig a while to give each area a chance to give her something. At the fourth spot she tried, she found exactly what she was searching for. Copper ore. She smiled as broke the rock around it and pulled it out. It was like it had been waiting for her.

She couldn't help but take a moment to study and admire the ore. It was beyond refreshing to not only find what she needed, but to find something like that at all. She had resigned herself to finding nothing but bones for so long. Even if copper was not especially valuable or rare in comparison to other metals, this discovery meant so much to her.

Kessa put the ore in her bag and went back to work. For the next few hours, she worked her way down the cliffside. She would dig out what ore she could find but once the spot wasn't giving anything more, she would move on. It was often slow work but as this is what she was used to, she didn't mind it.

Being so close to Ul'dah was invigorating on its own. She'd go to move to another location or wipe her brow of sweat and would catch a glimpse of the city. She smiled every time but tried to not let it keep her focus for long. She often saw travelers making their way to or from the city. Wagons and chocobo riders often went by. Normally she wouldn't be around this much activity. She found it wasn't troublesome or distracting. Instead it was refreshing. They didn't seem to take note of her presence either. She went on with her work and they went on with theirs.

It was evening when she found the last piece of ore she needed. Ten pieces of copper ore, just as Adalberta had requested. Kessa silently congratulated herself on a job well done as she put the ore away. Her bag was now starting to get heavy with the metal she was carrying but it wasn't enough to bother her.

Kessa looked up at the sky. The sun was nearing the horizon. The clouds were turning a soft orange. Her order was complete but many places and workers would likely be starting to close up for the day. Would Adalberta still be at the guild to take the ore? She was fairly certain someone would be at the guild but would anyone else be able to accept it? She had been in such a hurry that she hadn't asked for the details of what she was supposed to do now.

She glanced towards the city and stared at it briefly. She still hadn't put any work into finding a place for her to sleep for the night. If she had to, she could do something like the refugees and set up some kind of camp on the outskirts of the town. Nights in Thanalan rarely had a chill and there was no sign of bad weather. She could sleep outside if she found nothing else.

After taking a short time to think over her options, she decided there was no harm in going back to the guild. Whoever she found there would be able to give her instructions. In addition, they would likely be able to give suggestions of where to find housing too.

Back to Ul'dah it was. She placed her pickaxe back over her back and walked back to the road that would take her to the city. She smiled at the prospect of never having to leave Ul'dah again.

She didn't make it down the road far however.

There was a sound. It made her stop in surprise. It was some sort of screeching. It was not a sound that would come from the mouth of a person. It was the roar of something else.

Something… unnatural somehow.

It was unlike anything she had ever heard. It wasn't normal. She instinctively looked in the direction it had come from. It had carried some distance as it had softened somewhat and she couldn't see what had created the sound.

Before she could contemplate the sound any further, she heard another cry. It came from the same direction as the first but from the sound it was a different creature. This one was a higher pitch. More distressed. It was afraid.

Someone was in trouble.

Kessa didn't take any time to think. She ran in the direction of the sounds. She hurried over the hills of the desert plain. She heard the first sound again. It was still unnatural but it was closer. Whatever this was had to be around somewhere.

She ran a distance before seeing two figures dashing across the plains. She went towards them. Both were actually fairly small so it wasn't until she got close that she could make out much detail.

There was a Lalafell. Kessa wasn't able to take much of a look at them but they were wearing a pink robe and pink turban over their hair. They were running from something. That something let out another roar. It was the source of the unnatural roar, and its appearance was just as troubling. It actually wasn't much bigger than the Lalafell. Its body was black and unsettling thin. Its limbs seemed to be little more than black skin attached to bones. It flapped its bat like wings as it flew but each flap seemed to be out of time with how it was moving, bringing into question if the wings were what kept it airborne.

The creature sped up and dove at the Lalafell who jumped out of its way just in time. They fell to the ground in doing so but they had avoided the attack. They were taking too long to recover though and it was turning around for a second attack.

Kessa rushed forward. The panic and adrenaline took over and she was consumed with the urge to intervene. She was there. She had to help. She didn't question why or how. She just had to.

In a smooth motion she reached into her bag and took out her wand. She came to a quick stop to begin casting her spell. She hurled flames at the creature who stopped mid attack on the Lalafell.

The Lalafell saw this and then followed the path of the flames to find Kessa there. The creature turned its attention to Kessa at the same time and started flying towards her instead.

The creature sped at Kessa who stepped out of its way. She ignored it for the time being and looked at the Lalafell who was climbing to their feet.

"Hurry! Go!" She urged. "While I have its attention!"

The Lalafell gave no argument and quickly starting running off towards the city walls. They would be safe there. Kessa took a small amount of comfort in this but knew she still had other things to focus on.

The Lalafell was safe but she probably wasn't.

Kessa started to turn back to where the creature had gone only to find it had already swung around and was attacking again. This time it made contact and she was pushed to the ground. Even given its small size, it still hit her with a strong force.

The creature proceeded to claw at Kessa who let out a wince. She couldn't focus on any pain right now. She needed to get up, she couldn't cast from there. She swung her arms at the creature who backed up enough that she was able to climb back to her feet.

Kessa tried backing away to get some distance. The creature kept up with her pace and kept trying to claw at her. She pulled back her wand and fought herself to ignore the creatures attacks while she started casting. She succeeded in blasting it with more fire. It growled in pain and for a moment relented in its attack. Kessa took this chance to back away from it further but was soon standing in place to cast again. Clearly this creature wasn't going to be scared off as easily as the buzzard from earlier had. She was going to have to give this all she had.

She hit it with another spell. It flew at her during the next one. The spell went off as the creature reached her. They both attacked each other. It swung its claws at her in a rage. She couldn't feel the pain through the panic but could see blood on her arm and clothing. She didn't let herself worry about that.

The creature was still going to keep attacking, she knew. It would screech and growl in pain so the fire had to be damaging it. But it still fought on. How long would it do so? How long could Kessa keep fighting? Even though she had been able to ignore any pain, the thing she couldn't ignore was how she would soon run out of aether. She had always only been able to cast a handful of fire spells at a time. What would happen if she ran out before the creature fell?

Kessa was determined to not find out.

Another fire spell. Then another. It was difficult to focus on channeling the spell while the creature threatened her, but she managed to keep herself centered. If she didn't keep calm enough to cast her magic she would never make it through.

The creature flew at her again. She swung her wand and hit it away before starting another spell. She was very low on aether now. This would likely be the last one she could manage.

The creature groaned as the fire hit its body. Its flapping wings were becoming more erratic. More strained. It was hurt. Its movements were slowing down.

But it wasn't defeated.

It flew at her again. It clawed wildly. It wasn't striking her as vigorously but it was still hurting her. Kessa cringed. The weariness of being out of aether was letting the pain finally start seeping into her mind. Her whole body was beginning to protest to the effort she was exerting.

Kessa batted the creature again. It backed away enough that she was able to distance herself a few strides away. It struggled to keep composed but was soon flying towards her.

Whether it was out of pain or fear, Kessa found herself pulling the wand back again. In the past when she had tried to use a spell while she was this low on aether, nothing had happened.

But this time had to be different.

This time it had to work.

She had to make this work.

This day would determine her future.

She dug down. Maybe she found something that she didn't know was there. Maybe the fear of defeat, or worse death, brought out more strength than she realized. Whatever it was, the cast went off. The creature screeched again as it was hit with the last blast of flames.

Its body fell to the ground but didn't land there. Instead the creature suddenly burst. There was nothing like flesh or blood as it did so. Only a black smoke. Whatever this was quickly disappeared into the air around it.

That creature, unnatural as it was, perished in an equally unnatural way.

That wasn't normal. Couldn't be.

So what was it?

Kessa's mind fogged as soon as the last cast went off though, so she could not speculate on these facts. She saw the creature disappear and vaguely registered that it was gone. She was struggling to catch her breath and her vision was started to blur.

Her limbs felt heavy. She couldn't really move. Her arms fell limply to her sides. She saw movement directly out in front of her. Two blurs were making their way towards her. The bigger one was gray and the smaller one was pink.

She somewhat got a better look at them as they neared her. The bigger one was a man with white hair and wearing mostly black and gray. Behind him though was the pink blur that turned out to be the Lalafell from before. After Kessa distracted the creature, they probably went and got help. Kessa didn't realize this until later though. For now all she could think was how the Lalafell was safe.

Kessa's vision continued to blur and then started to grow dark. But she was smiling at how they were both safe now. She had done it.

"Oh good," Kessa uttered weakly.

With that, Kessa's legs gave way and she fell to the ground. The man reached her just after she fell and while she couldn't really see his features, the last thing she saw was the stranger bending over her.

Everything went black after that.

Kessa welcomed this. The fight was over.

Time to rest.


End file.
